Retractable partitioning screens or gates are currently available for use as portable safety barriers, so that, for example, a potentially dangerous area may be temporarily closed off or an opening to a restricted area may be temporarily blocked, thereby preventing an object from accessing the potentially dangerous or restricted area. When the restriction is no longer necessary, these partitioning screens or gates can be conveniently retracted and removed, and access to the area restored. The retractable partitioning screens or gates are typically manufactured from a flexible membrane, for instance, a resilient fabric or plastic, so that the membrane may be retracted within a housing when not in use. The use of a flexible membrane, however, can, at times, compromise the ability of the partitioning screen or gate to act as a safety barrier. In particular, a flexible partitioning screen or gate, although sufficiently taut when extended, may nevertheless remain flexible along the edges. As a result, if, for instance, a child leans against a top edge of the retractable gate, his weight may not be properly supported along the top edge, and the child may ultimately fall across and over the retractable gate. In addition, the flexible nature of the membrane allows any force acting on a surface and or and edge of the membrane to be magnified toward the gate's mounts. For example, constant leaning and pulling on the retractable membrane by, for instance, a child, could compromise the integrity of the mounts and therefore the security and positioning of the gate within the opening. Moreover, many flexible barriers lack one-handed operation once the barriers have been secured within the opening. As a result, the safety of the user, including that a child, if the user were to carry the child, may be compromised.
There are available partitioning barriers made from a rigid material, such as wood or molded plastic, which can avoid the problems associated with flexible retractable barriers. These rigid barriers, however, are typically large and/or cumbersome, and may not have the portability and convenience of a flexible retractable barrier. In addition, if blockage of an opening (i.e., a doorway) is only needed on a periodic basis, it may be inconvenient to repeatedly remove these cumbersome barriers from the opening, just so that a pathway can be cleared for passage therethrough. The need to repeatedly remove these barriers can cause the barriers to be used in ways that would compromise the protection which the barriers were designed to provide. For example to avoid repeated removal, a barrier may be left semi-permanently in place or for an extended period, even when there is not a need for the barrier. As a result, a person needing to go through the opening, in order to decrease the amount of time needed to walk along a different path to avoid the barrier, may jump or step over the barrier, an act which may cause the person to trip and hurt himself. If, on the other hand, the barrier is removed for an extended period to avoid repeated removal, the need to walk around, or the need to step over the barrier, the safety of the user and others may be unnecessarily compromised when restriction across the opening again becomes necessary.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a barrier which can be conveniently used and which does not compromise safety of the user for convenience.